


you don't want to be alone

by sunlit_tea_leaves



Category: Half Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware
Genre: Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Team as Family, i mean gordon and the rest got kinda banged up, i was craving this and i didn't see it so fuck it, i wrote it myself, reader is referred to by they/them pronouns!, this fic is pure self indulgence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:13:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25409734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunlit_tea_leaves/pseuds/sunlit_tea_leaves
Summary: story title is from the song what you know by two door cinema club because i was listening to that on repeat while writing this sdjfsl :D
Relationships: Bubby/Dr. Coomer (Half-Life), Everyone & Everyone, Reader & Everyone
Comments: 30
Kudos: 97





	1. don't leave me on read

**Author's Note:**

> story title is from the song what you know by two door cinema club because i was listening to that on repeat while writing this sdjfsl :D

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you meet someone you weren't expecting on a nighttime stroll

It’s a nice night, you think as you idly kick a pebble down the sidewalk. It makes a satisfying clatter and you can’t help but smile to yourself. That is until it falls into a gutter. Disappointing. You immediately target another helpless rock as you walk and kick it, your legs aching a little.

The wind rustled through the tree leaves gently, a continuous chorus of whispers and gentle shushing. Since it’s dark out, businesses have turned on their neon lights and signs. With the rainwater still pooling fresh in the streets, the lighting is beautiful. You can’t help but feel like you’re in some kind of cool sci-fi neon drenched city. Not for the first time, you wished your phone wasn’t currently waterlogged and still dripping in your pocket.

Long story short, today on your daily afternoon walk there had been a big puddle, many slippery leaves, and one distraction in the form of a small excited child running in circles around you all while happily screaming.

Joshua Freeman was a good kid. You’d gotten better with your signing, so now you could actually fully understand what he was saying and hold conversations with him. Of course, given the fact that he was six years old, conversations with him weren’t very understandable in the first place. Still, it was fun talking with him. You loved being his babysitter. He was a chaotic little ball of sunshine, but make no mistake-he was an absolute fucking nightmare at times. Still a good kid though, you loved him to bits and would die for him in a heartbeat.

While you were thinking of the Freeman family, there was something gnawing at you, something that had wormed into your brain a few days ago. Where was Mr. Freeman? You hadn’t heard from Gordon in...what was it now, a week? It was worrying. You had originally only supposed to have babysat Joshua for a couple of days, but-obviously, you’d been watching over him for longer than that. You’d been taking turns with Gordon’s ex wife Val, and Gordon's parents, so thankfully it wasn’t too hard to take care of Joshua, but...it was still worrying. 

You frowned as you walked, still kicking the rock. What had happened to Gordon Freeman? Where was he?

In the dark alleyway beside the street someone groaned. You whipped around, hands balling instinctively into fists. You watched anxiously as a dark silhouette got up from the ground, swaying. Hopefully, they weren’t about to whip out a weapon and rob you. Hopefully. You wiped your suddenly sweaty palms on your clothes.

“Hey, uh-you okay..?” You asked. The person laughed at that, a low scratchy wheeze that sounded weirdly familiar. They stepped forward, closer to the yellow pool of light the street lamp between you cast onto the ground. You shifted, but stood your ground.

“I’ve...been way fucking better.” They drawled, their voice hoarse like they’d been screaming. Again, you got the weird feeling that you knew them. “Kind of had a shitty..shitty week…”

They stepped forward into the light, yellow tones splashing against orange and red and dark gray, and you froze up.

“Mr. Freeman?!” You gasped. Gordon looked up, eyes unfocused and dried blood staining his face.

“Wh...Tommy…?” He asked slowly, then promptly tripped and stumbled over a bullshit rock that you realized suddenly was the same one you’d been kicking around. 

“Oh fuck-” You knelt down next to Gordon and gently rolled him over onto his back. You winced at his sluggishly bleeding nose. “Sorry about that! God, I can't believe you're actually _here-_ and who’s Tommy?”

Gordon groaned, looking like absolute shit. As he took a moment to focus, you looked him over. He was in a sort of strange brightly colored...power armor,it looked like, with blood leaking out from cuts and grazes in his dark undersuit. His face was bruised, and there was a dark dried ring of blood around the wrist of his right arm. You took it all in with wide eyes, horror curling in your gut.

"Holy shit…..were you in a fucking war…?" You breathed. Your hands were shaking.

"Hnngh...no but it...sure felt like it..." Gordon chuckled, his voice rasping and catching as he winced, clutching at his chest. "Fuck. Forgot that laughing hurt..."

"Oh God-okay, you need a fucking-hospital or some shit, lemme call up a cab-" You started to dig out your phone only for two things to happen. One, you remember that it's still waterlogged and therefore unable to function, and two, Gordon's head snapped up and he fucking snatched at your phone with a surprising speed, breathing heavily.

"N-no, no hospitals, I-I'm not-" He wheezed, panic written all over his face. "I-I _can't-_!"

Gordon looked like he was about to say more, but then his eyes rolled back and he collapsed. Luckily despite your surprise you were able to catch him, otherwise he and the weight of his strange suit would have likely crushed you.

"O-okay...now what...?" You were stuck kind of far from home, with an unconscious, bleeding man who was apparently a criminal of some kind in your arms while it was dark out. Fan-fucking-tastic, but hey. At least you found Gordon Freeman. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ghsdkfjs sorry that this is so short i got tired of looking at this first chappie and just said fuck it i'm done with this lol


	2. i will get time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you very briefly look like a murderer dragging around the body of your last victim. oh well, it happens sometimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chappie title is once again from the song what you know by two door cinema! it’s a very good song :)

Carrying an unconscious, fairly heavy man in full armor is much, much harder than they make it look in the movies. Not to mention, the fact that it’s dark out, and the fact that Mr. Freeman is totally, completely limp in your arms doesn’t help.

...God, if someone calls the cops on you you’re so fucked. You must look like you’re carrying around a dead body. 

A very _heavy_ dead body. God, what the absolute fuck was Gordon wearing. You groaned and kept on walking, Mr. Freeman’s head lolling awkwardly against your shoulder. Was he _snoring_? You checked, and your employer was indeed snoring softly, a peaceful expression resting on his battered face. 

Damn, dude must have really needed that nap. You bit your lip and hefted Gordon up higher so you could hold him better, arms burning with the effort.

What the hell had happened to him? What had happened after he’d gone to work one morning after paying you $30 to watch Joshua? How had that shifted into him being away for nearly a week, and coming back looking like this? As much as you wanted answers, they would have to wait. First you had to get him home and then call Val and Joshua, they must have been worried _sick-_

“Ah, hello Gordon!”

You let out an undignified, surprised squeak as suddenly a strangely muscular old person with an impressive mustache popped into your vision. Startled, you instinctively jumped back. 

Or at least, you tried to. With Mr. Freeman’s weight already making you off balance, down you went with almost all of Gordon’s weight falling on you.

Hard plates of metal dig into your ribs and you wheezed. Then that weird old person from before popped back into your vision, frizzy white hair hanging down. They stooped to give you a cheerful, if slightly concerned grin.

“Oh dear Gordon! You appear to have caught a case of the crumbles! How dire!” They exclaimed, the grin never once wavering. It was a bit unnerving, if you were honest.

There was a quiet whirring of what sounded like a computer fan oddly enough, then the sound of gears clicking quietly into place, and _then_ the oddest sensation, the feeling of cold metal sliding underneath your back. 

“Allow me to help you up Gordon!” The old person said, and then inexplicably you and Mr. Freeman were no longer sprawled on the ground but were back up on your feet, with Gordon propped up against the old person. They dusted you off, then leaned Mr. Freeman carefully up against a wall.

You gaped at the person as you distantly heard Gordon slide down the wall.

“Guh. Th-thanks.” You managed to say. You felt kind of dizzy. What was that? You looked down at the stranger’s arms. They were normal human arms, with a dusting of faint freckles from being in the sun and old, faded scars. 

“You’re welcome Gordon!” The old person said, then paused. For the first time, their grin slipped. Just a little. “Oh-you’re not Gordon.”

“I’m not,” You agreed with a small, tired laugh. “I’m a little surprised you know Mr. Freeman though. Are you work friends? Wait, I should ah, probably-“

You then introduced yourself. The person beamed again and promptly ignored your previous question.

“Hello! My name is Harold, but most call me Coomer!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit it’s been. a while huh sakfkejjdsj

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is asthecrowrambles! feel free to stop by and chat or whatever about this fic or whatever! :>


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